Perception and Attribution |  |
Chapter SummaryPerception is an important cognitive process. Through this complex process, persons make interpretations of the stimulus or situation they are faced with. Both selectivity and organization go into perceptual interpretations. Externally, selectivity is affected by
intensity, size, contrast, repetition, motion, and novelty and familiarity. Internally, perceptual selectivity is influenced by the individual’s motivation, learning, and personality.
After the stimulus situation is filtered by the selective process, the incoming information is organized into a meaningful whole. Figure-ground is the most basic form of perceptual organization. Another basic form is the grouping of constellations of incoming
stimuli by closure, continuity, proximity, and similarity. The constancy and context aspects of perceptual organization are more complex. The social context in particular plays an important role in understanding human behavior in organizations. Of particular
importance to social perception are the two major problems of stereotyping (the tendency to perceive another person as belonging to a single class or category) and the halo effect (the tendency to perceive a person on the basis of one trait).
Attribution is a type of social perception concerned with how people explain the cause of another’s or their own behavior. Attribution theory has a rich history from the cognitive pioneers in psychology. Applied to organizational behavior, locus of control (internal and external) attributions are very relevant, and research has found that internals tend to be more effective on a number of dimensions. Other types of attributions such as stability and consensus, consistency and distinctiveness have also
received more recent attention in organizational behavior. So have the errors such as the fundamental attribution error (people tend to attribute others’ behavior to personalfactors) and self-serving bias (individuals take personal credit for successes, but attribute
failure to the situation).
The last part of the chapter deals with controlling and constructing perceptions
through impression management. Only recently recognized by the field of organizational behavior, impression management, or self-presentation, is the process by which people attempt to manage or control the perceptions others form of them. If employees are trying to minimize responsibility for some negative event or to stay out of trouble, they may employ a demotion-preventative strategy characterized by accounts, apologies, and/or disassociation.
If they are seeking to maximize responsibility for a positive outcome or trying to look better than they really are, then they can use a promotion-enhancing strategy characterized
by entitlements, enhancements, obstacle disclosures, and/or associations. Organization members should be aware of how impression management is being used on them and of impression management strategies that they can use. Although there is nothing
wrong with looking as good as one can, one must always be true to oneself. |
|
|
2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education